Sheet metal bathtub



June 28, 1938.

H. G. COORDES 2,122,247

SHEET METAL BATHTUB 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. '7. 1936 INVENTORlldriglfi 620 293. 5.

9%, Calu-m ATTORNEYS.

June 28, 1938. H. G. cboRDEs SHEET METAL'BATHTUB 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 7. 1936 Harzyl bardes.

w R 0% Y 0 E T N m m v June 28, 1938. H. G. cooRDEs 2,122,247

SHEET METAL BATHTUB Filed Jan. 7, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV ENTOR 63.bard e5.

2%,W ram;

it: i I ATTORN EYS.

June 28, 1938. H. G. COORDES 2,122,247

SHEET METAL: BATHTUB Filed Jan. 7. 1956 4 Shee ts-Sheet 4 iii/ 5: 2%

I INVENTOR ffdrilly 6r. :Cbardea.

ATTORNEY5.

Patented June 28, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET METAL BATHTUBApplication January 7, 1936, Serial No. 57,960

14 Claims.

steel, and preferably adapted to receive a protective as well asornamental surface finish of vitreous enamel. In the preferredconstruction the bathtub proper, comprising a single walled deep drawnbasin, is formed integrally and seamlessly from a single sheet of metaland in the fabrication of the tub one or more sides thereof which, afterinstallation, are exposed to view and not concealed by the wall of theroom are formed with an upper rim or ledge terminating in a dependingflange or apron.

An object of the invention is to provide a tub of the single walledbasin type, such as above referred to, having pressed metal exteriorpanelling extending along the exposed upright wall or walls of the basinand concealing the same, the

panelling preferably being so constructed and installed as to provide inconjunction with the tub proper substantially a double side-walledbasin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pressed metal bathtub,particularly of the builtin type, having a double side wall constructionat one or more exposed sides of the tub.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double side-walled metalbathtub composed of a plurality of sheet metal stampings adapted to beinstalled together into a unitary structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pressed metal bathtubterminating at its upper edge or edges in a rolled rim or horizontalledge and in a full depending apron at any exposed side of the tub wheninstalled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sheet or pressed metaltub which is braced and supported at the places where loads are appliedso that the tub will be rigid in service without having to be made ofexcessively heavy metal.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pressed metal bathtubhaving an apron formed from a sheet or blank of metal separate from themain part of the tub and secured to it in such a way that there is nodanger of cracking or chipping the enamel near the fastening means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tubincorporating the above described desiderata which is very light inweight because of its being made of sheet or plate metal, which isformed from a single blank of metal, which is inexpensive tomanufacture, and which has an appearance which is as good or better thanthat of the present type of cast tubs. 5

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description and appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein likereference characters 10 designate corresponding parts in the severalVleWS.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the invention andillustrating the tub built into or installed in a recess in a bathroom.15

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tub shown in Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 taken in the direction ofthe arrows.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tub shown 20 in Fig. 1 tilted ontoits back to show the bottom.

Fig. 5 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 takenin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the tub shown 25 in Fig. 1 with part ofthe apron and part of the depending rim at the front of the tub brokenaway.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 17-? in Fig. 6 taken in the direction ofthe arrows. 30

Fig. 8 is a. perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of theinvention, the tub in this instance being built into or installed in acorner of a bathroom.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a third 35 embodiment of theinvention, the tub in this instance being built into or installedagainst a single wall of a bathroom.

Fig. 10 is a. bottom plan view of the tub shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the tub shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a section on the line l2l2 of Fig. 11 taken in the directionof the arrows. 45

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, since the inven- 50 tion is capable of .otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Alsoit is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and itis 55 not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond therequirements of the prior art.

In the drawings I have illustrated, by way of example, three presentpreferred forms of the invention applicable to bathtubs of the built-intype. 1

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, thebody A of the tub comprises a generally rectangular substantiallyhorizontal bottom I sloping slightly towards the end in which the drainoutlet 2 is situated and resting on a pair of supporting saddles B,being secured to the saddles by means of U-shaped brackets 6 having theflanges 4a. thereof spot welded as indicated to the bottom of the tub,the brackets in turn being bolted at 3 to the saddles.

The tub comprises vertical or upright sides 5 and. 6 extendinglongitudinally of the tub at each side of the bottom, being connected toit by rounded corners I which merge smoothly and seamlessly into thesurface of the bottom and the sides. Vertical or upright end sides 8 and9, one of which is provided with a hole I0 through which a filler spoutis adapted to project, are connected to the ends of the bottom I byrounded corners II which merge smoothly and seamlessly into the bottomand ends of the tub. The interior of the tub is thus, except for thedrain and filler openings, one smooth continuous surface.

A horizontal flange I3 surrounds the top of the tub and is connected tothe sides and ends by a smooth rounded corner section I4 which mergessmoothly into the sides, ends and corners of the tub.

At the side 5 which forms the front of the tub, the flange I3 extendsout horizontally a greater distance in its central portion than at itsends to form a seat ledge I5. The edge of the flange forming the seat I5curves down vertically to form a short depending apron flange I6, andits lower edge I! is flanged or turnedin towards the tub to reenforcethe rim and to give it a solid substantial appearance.

A narrow horizontal ledge l8 extends around the two ends and the back ofthe tub from one front corner I9 around to the other front comer 20, andthe ends 2| and 22 of the ledge extend out from the corners I9 and 20 inthe plane of the flat upper surface of the seat flange I3 at the frontof the tub and merge into it. The metal of the ledge I8 is bent upwardaround three sides of the tub in this embodiment to provide a shortupstanding rim 23 extending around the outer edge of the ledge along theends and back of the gub and terminating at the front corners I9 and Inits preferred form the entire tub proper, above described, is formed ofa single non-jointed sheet of metal pressed, drawn and flanged toprovide a seamless unit adapted to take readily a coating of enamel. Theconstruction, it will be seen, is such as to lend itself to economicalproduction from sheet metal by due operations. Suitable sheet steel ispreferably employed, permitting all exposed surfaces of the tub to becoated with a vitreous enamel, providing a smooth, attractive, easilycleaned, permanent and durable surfacing.

The part of the flange I3 extending across the front of the tub andforming the seat I5 is reenforced 'and supported by approximatelytriangular brackets 24. The horizontal and vertical edges of thebrackets are provided with lugs, the lugs 25 at the sides of thebrackets being spot welded to the side or front wall 5 of the tub andthe lugs 26 at the tops being spot welded to small reenforcing plates 21spot welded to the underside of the seat I5. Because of the depth of thebrackets a load on the seat l5, such as the weight of a person sittingthereon, is well distributed over the front of the tub and causes noappreciable distortion.

The comers of the flange I3 and the ends of the apron section H5 at thefront corners I9 and 20 of the tub are reenforced by vertical gussets 28whose upper edges are welded to the underside of the flange I3 directlyunder the ends of the upstanding rim 23 and whose forward ends 28a. arebent and spot welded to the back of the ends of the depending apron I6.The seat flange I5 and the depending apron along the front of the tubform a rigid section like an angle iron which is thus, through thegussets 28, securely and rigidly fastened to a similar rigidangle-iron-like portion formed by the flange I3 and the upstanding rim23 around the other three sides of the tub.

The two supporting saddles B are substantially the same, the onlydifference being that the saddle near the drain 2 is a little lower thanthe other to support the sloping bottom of the tub at the right angle.Each saddle comprises a horizontal web or bottom 29, two vertical sides30 and outwardly directed flanges 3| at the tops of the sides, theflanges being slightly curved from end to end to flt the slighttransverse curve in the bottom of the tub. The tops of the flanges arecovered with strips of soft material 32, such as felt, other flbrousmaterial, or lead, secured to the flanges by countersunk split rivets33. The soft cushioning material serves both to distribute the weight ofthe tub uniformly along the saddles and to deaden or damp out the soundproducing vibrations of the sheet metal tub when the tub is struck, aswhen a bar of soap is dropped onto it.

The ends of the bottoms of the saddles are lower than the centralportion to form hollow feet 34 adapted to rest on the floor. The centersof the feet are embossed upwardly to form recesses 35 for the heads ofthe bolts 3 by means of which the saddles B are secured to the brackets4 which project down into them from the bottom of the tub, see Fig. 7.

- A pair of openings 36 are provided in the bottom' of the saddles Bbetween the feet 34, the purpose of these openings being to allow accessto the inner faces of the sides 30 of the saddles for putting on andtightening nuts on bolts which hold some of the bracing members. Twoopenings 36 in each saddle, instead of only one, are provided so thatthe same design of saddles can be used for the other formsof theinvention, as will appear below.

In this embodiment of the invention, see particularly Fig. 2, the frontside of the tub basin is double-walled, the outer wall being formed bythe depending apron or panel C. The upper edge of this panel projectsabove the flanged edge I1 of the tub apron I6 and is concealed behindthe latter, being offset or set back from the face of the apron It sothat the edge of the tub can be firmly grasped by a person getting in orout of the tub. The means for fastening the apron C to the dependingapron or rim I6 are concealed behind the apron or rim and comprise anglebrackets 31 having their vertical legs 31a spot welded to the back ofthe depending rim I6 and having their horizontal legs 31b projectingback under the flange I5 at the top of the front of the tub. The

top of the apron C is formed into a backwardly projecting horizontalflange 38 which is fastened to the horizontal legs 3'") of the brackets31 by means of bolts 39 and nuts 40.

Before the apron is fastened to the brackets 31, a flanged sleeve 4| ofsoft material such as rubber, felt or other fibrous material or lead isplaced in each bolt hole in the brackets. Then, when the parts areassembled, theflanges 4la of the soft sleeves lie between the bracketsand the apron flange and most of the body 4lb of each of the softsleeves is squeezed down under the nuts 40. Thus, the apron iscompletely insulated from the brackets by soft material so that therewill be no possibility of squeaks or other noises caused by relativemovement of the apron C and flange l3 when a heavy person sits on theedge of the tub. The sleeves 4| also dampen the sound creatingvibrations caused when the tub or apron is struck. Further deadening ofthe vibrations is secured by a piece of rubber tubing 42 interposedbetween the bottom of the depending rim I6 and the face of the apron C,the tubing being supported by the intumed lower edge ll of the rim i6and forming aseaiing means.

The lower edge 49 of the apron or panel C is bolted to the verticalflange 43a of a horizontal piece of angle iron 43 whose other flange 43bis adapted to rest on the floor. The angle iron 43 is braced to the tubsupporting saddles B by means of a pair of short straight angle ironbraces 44 and a pair of longer diagonal angle iron braces 45 extendingto the ends of the panel C. The outer ends of the braces 44 and 45 arewelded on top of the bottom flange of the angle iron 43 at the base ofthe panel and their inner ends are bolted to the sides of the saddles B,the short braces 44 being bolted on at the end of the saddle where thenut on the inside of the saddle can beheld through the open end of thesaddle and the longer diagonal braces 45 being bolted on near the accessholes 36 in the bottoms of the saddles.

The side edges of the panel C are stiffened by being bent back atopposite ends into the vertical flanges 46 and the central part of thepanel stifiened vertically by being offset or bowed forwards to followthe outline of the seat flange i5 and by having a baseboard like portion4'4 oifset forwards of the 'upper portion 48 and forwards of the loweredge 49. Thus, the area of the apron or panel C is broken up into aplurality of flat areas at an angle to each other and bracing each otherso that the apron as a whole and the several sections of it are muchstiffer than a plain flat apron would be, besides being more pleasing inappearance.

lhe second and third embodiments of the invention, shown in Figs. 8 and10 and in Figs. 9, 11 and 12 respectively, are similar to the first, theonly difference being that the depending rim E6 on the flange i 3, thepanel or apron C, the resilient tubing 42 and the angle iron 43 at thebase of the apron C are continued from the front around one end of thetub in the second form and around both ends of the tub in the thirdform, the upstanding rim 23 terminating and being connected to thedepending rim i6 through gussets 28 at whichever corners of the tub theapron terminates. Additional diagonal braces 50 extending to the ends ofthe angle iron 43 at the back of the tub are provided to brace the endsof the apron, the access holes 36 in the saddles B allowing the bracesto be fastened in the same way as the front'diagonal braces 45.

to be built in or against a single wall. If desired,

a fourth form, with the panelling or apron extending around all foursides, may be provided as a free-standing tub. It will be understoodthat the panel or apron C in each of the embodiments herein illustratedis preferably stamped or pressed from a single sheet of metal, such assheet steel of a suitable kind permitting its exposed surfaces to becoated with a vitreous enamel in the same manner as the tub proper.

I claim:

.1. A bathtub comprising a pressed metal basin having upright sidewalls, one of said walls having an outwardly extendingrim widened toprovide a seat ledge and terminating in a depending flange, bracemembers secured to the underside of said ledge and to said last namedwall, and a pressed metal panel disposed in front of said wall andsupported between the rim and the bottom of the tub.

2. A pressed sheet metal bathtub comprising a main tub portion having ahorizontal rim provided with a depending flange at one side thereof anda bracket extending between the rim and the wall of the tub.

3. In a pressed sheet metal bathtub, a. main tub portion, a flangesurrounding the main tub portion, the flange on one side of the tubbeing adapted to have its edge built into a wall and the flange on anadjacent side having a depending rim, and a vertical sheet metal bracingmember extending under and secured to the edge of the flrst named flangeand having one end secured to the back of said depending rim.

4. The combination of a pressed sheet metal bathtub having an outwardlyextending rim provided with a depending flange, a horizontally extendingbracket secured to the back of the flange and an apron secured to thebracket.

5. The combination of a pressed sheet metal bathtub having an outwardlyextending rim provided with a depending flange intumed along its loweredge, a horizontally extending bracket secured to the back of the flangeabove the lower edge thereof, a depending apron secured to the bracket,and an elongated resilient member between the flange and the apron andsupported by the intumed edge of the flange.

6. The combination of a pressed sheet metal bathtub having an outwardlyextending rim provided with a depending flange, a horizontally extendingbracket spot welded to the back of the flange, and an upright apronhaving a horizontal flange at its top secured to the bracket.

7. The combination of an enameled pressed sheet metal bathtub having anoutwardly extending rim provided with a depending flange, a pinrality ofhorizontally extending brackets secured to the back of the flange, anenameled pressed sheet metal apron having a horizontal flange at itstop, and means for securing the apron flange to the brackets comprisingbolts extending through holes in the apron flange and the brackets andrelatively soft spacing members around the bolts and extending betweenthe apron flange and the brackets.

8. The combination of an enameled pressed sheet metal bathtub having anoutwardly extending rim provided with a depending flange, horizontallyextending brackets secured to'the back of the flange, an enameledpressed sheet metal apron havinga horizontal flange at its top,

holes in the apron flange and the brackets and relatively soft spacingmembers having tubular portions embracing the bolts and extendingthrough the bolt holes in the brackets and having portions interposedbetween the heads of the bolts and the top of the brackets.

'9. In a pressed sheet metal bathtub, a main tub portion, an outwardlyturned marginal rim surrounding the main tub portion, the rim along oneside of the tub having an upstanding flange adapted to bebuilt into awall and the rim along an adjacent side having a depending apron, and abracing member extending beneath the upstanding flange and secured tothe underside of the rim, said bracing member also being secured to theend of the depending apron.

10. A bathtub formed from a single sheet of metal and comprising a deepdrawn basin having an upright side wall thereof terminating in anoutwardly extending rim provided with a depending apron,and a pressedmetal panel extending downwardly from said apron in spaced relation tosaid wall and concealing the same, said apron having an inturned flangealong its lower edge effective to ofiset the face of the panel inwardlywith respect to the face of said apron.

11. A bathtub comprising a seamless pressed metal tub basin havingsurrounding side walls terminating in a continuous seamless outturnedrim terminating along at least one side in a depending apron turnedinwardly to provide a reenforced channel-like rim structure, and abracket extending from the rim structure to a wall of the tub basin andsecured thereto.

12. A bathtub comprising a seamless pressed metal tub basin havingsurrounding side walls terminating in a continuous seamless outturnedrim terminating along at least one side in a depending apron turnedinwardly to provide a reenforced channel-like rim structure, a bracketextending from the rim structure to a wall of the tub basin and securedthereto, and a metal panel extending downwardly from the rim structureand concealing said bracket and wall.

13. A bathtub comprising a tub basin having surrounding side walls andpressed from a single metal sheet, one or said walls having an outturnedrim terminating in a depending apron turned inwardly along its loweredge to provide a reenforced channel-like rim structure, said outturnedrim being widened to provide a seat ledge, bracing means extendingbetween the ledge and tub wall, and a vertical pressed metal panelconcealing said bracing means and wall.

14. A bathtub comprising a tub basin having surrounding side walls andpressed from a single metal sheet, one of said walls having an outturnedrim terminating in a depending apron turned inwardly along its loweredge to provide a reenforced channel-like rim structure, said outturnedrim being widened to provide a seat ledge,

bracing means extending between the ledge and tub wall, a verticalpressed metal panel concealing said bracing means and wall, and bracingmeans for supporting the ends of said rim.

- HARRY G. COORDES.

